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Scott Lloyd gets top LTA job

The LTA has announced that Scott Lloyd is to be their new Chief Executive but won’t formally take over from Mike Downey until January 2018, though Downey is due to return to Canada over the next few months.

However, there’s still much to do to drive British tennis forward and I can’t wait to play my part in that very important journey Scott Lloyd

His appointment should be well received for he certainly has a passion for the game as well as the commercial experience and at least is home grown, unlike many of the appointments which have been made over recent years.

The son of David Lloyd who has over many years been a thorn in the LTA’s side, Scott, 41, set up his own health, fitness and rackets group, the Next Generation, in 1997 as a more upmarket alternative to his father’s David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) group which was established in 1982 and taken over by Whitbread in 1996 who in turn sold it on in 2007 to a consortium. I was then merged with the Next Generation with Scott at the helm of the now expanded DLL operation.

He remained CEO of DLL until 2015 but remained involved as the Non-Executive Deputy Chairman.

As a result Scott would seem to be ideal choice to take over the reins at the LTA having been involved in a wide range of sports in which tennis has featured strongly. He and his team have driven participation building the 111clubs’ membership to approximately 570,000 members and establishing DLL as the largest group of its kind in Europe.

Scott Lloyd said of his appointment: “I am really looking forward to the challenge of taking on this fantastic job. The current success of great British players like Andy and Jamie Murray, Johanna Konta, Gordon Reid and others, is helping inspire a whole new generation to give this great sport a go.

“Over the last four years, the LTA has taken huge strides in helping tennis become more accessible and encouraging many more people into the sport at a grassroots level. However, there’s still much to do to drive British tennis forward and I can’t wait to play my part in that very important journey.”

Commenting on the appointment, David Gregson the LTA Chairman, said: “Scott was the stand-out choice for us for several reasons. He has a deep understanding of the British tennis landscape and a clear commitment to our strategy of focussing on grassroots tennis in communities – from schools to clubs to parks.

“In addition, he has a proven record of growing and developing tennis over the last twenty years and he clearly has a deep-rooted desire to make a significant impact on our sport in the future, as we strive to make our sport even more popular and deliver on our mission to get more people playing tennis more often.

“Scott was the unanimous choice of the LTA’s Recruitment Committee.”

Phillip Brook, Chairman of the AELTC supported the choice: “We were delighted to hear of Scott’s appointment as Chief Executive and wish him every success in his new role. We look forward to working with Scott and his team in the months and years ahead.”

Meantime Judy Murray added: “This feels like a great fit for the LTA. Scott is a dynamic and successful businessman with a real passion for tennis. There’s a huge opportunity right now to capitalise on the successes of our top players and make Britain a strong tennis nation.”

About The Author

Henry Wancke is one of the most respected Tennis writers in the UK. Henry is the Editor of both Tennis Threads Magazine and tennisthreads.net. He previously worked as Editor of Tennis World, Serve & Volley as well as Tennis Today magazines and been stringer for The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and Press Association. He also co-authored the Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Tennis with John Parsons published by Carlton, and the Federation Cup – the first 32 years, published by the ITF. Currently he is the Secretary of the Lawn Tennis Writers’ Association and Hon Vice President of the Tennis Industry Association UK.

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